Gainsborough Sketching in Woods c. 1747

Thomas Gainsborough's "Gainsborough Sketching in Woods" is a black chalk drawing on paper created around 1747. It depicts a scene in a wooded area with the artist himself sketching. The loose and gestural lines of the drawing capture the movement of the trees and the artist's focus on capturing the natural world. This early work by Gainsborough demonstrates his talent for landscape drawing, a subject that he would later develop into more elaborate and refined compositions. The Art Institute of Chicago holds this small-scale work, measuring 147 x 192 mm, offering a glimpse into Gainsborough's artistic process.